Hydraulic power transmission



Jan; 12, 1932. A. G. RA'YBURN'ET AL 1,340,367

HYDRAULIC POWER TRANSMISSION origin@ Filed Aug. 25, i924 3 sheets-sheet Jan. l2, 1932. A. G. RAYBURN ET AL 1,840,867

` i HYDRAULIC POWER TRANSMISSION original Filed Aug. 25, 1924 5 sheets-sheet 2 in@ frane/vsvs.

.I an. v'12, 1932. A. G. RAYBURN ET AL- 1,840,867

` HYDRAULIC POWER TRANSMISSION original Filed Aug. 25, 1924 :s sheets-sheet s arroge/VE Y@ Patented' Jan." 1 2, 193.2l

UNITEDl sTTEs 'PATE'.NT OFFICE ALBEN GRANVILLE BAYBURN AND ELWYN M. RAYIBU'ELN, 0F SAUSALITO, AND JAMES WAYNE SUMNER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, F,FIFTYONE PER CENT TO AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING- COBPORATION,

A CORPORATION- OF DELAWARE HYDRAULIC POWER TBLANSMISSIN Application led August 25, 1924, Serial No'. 733,949. Renewed inne 29, 1929. A

' member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic power transmission in which substantially all of the energy delivered by the driving shaft is transmitted to the driven shaft.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which the foregoing'will be set forth at length 1n the following description where we shall outline in full that form of the invention which we have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. In said drawings we have shown one form of hydraulic power transmission apparatus embodying our invention, but it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to such form, since the invention, as set forth in the claims, may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section thru a power transmission apparatus em bodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section of the apparatus taken on the line 2-2 Figure l.

Figure 3 is across section taken on the line Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-f5 Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a cross section taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 1 to shoT the porting arrangements for the declutching valve.

The apparatus comprises a driving member adapted to be connected to a prime mover,

such as 'the crank shaft of an engine, and a driven memberwhieh is flexibly connected to the driving member by a fluid medium.` The driven member is adapted to be connected to the instrumentality to be driven,

such as the driving wheels of a vehicle or` the propeller shaft of a vessel or other instru mentalities. In the form of apparatus disclosed in the drawings, the liexibility of the connection between the driving and driven members may be varied at will, to vary the ratio of the speeds of the two members. 4 The driving and driven members may rotate in synchronism or the speed of rotation of the Y The apparatus preferably'comprises a sta,-

tionary housin 1-2 suitably supported on the frame 13, whic may constitute an extension of the engine frame. housing 12, at one end thereof, is a 'driving member comprising a shaft 14 which is provided lon its end outside of the housing with a ange plate 15 which, in the presentinstance, is secured to the flywheel 16. The crank shaft 17 of the engine is provided on its end with a flange 18 and bolts 19 serve to secure the crank shaftnthe flywheel and the flange plate 15 together. Suitable packing devices, such as the packing ring 21 and the spring pressed cup leather 22 are provided between the hub of the flange late 15 and the housing 12 to prevent lea age of liquid thru the joint.

Extending into the Secured to or formed integral with the y inner end of the driving shaft 14 is a gear or pinion 23which forms part of a gear pump which operates to pump liquid during the rotation of the driving shaft 14.

Extending into the housing from the opposite end is the driven member or driven shaft 24, the yi-nner end of which is journalled v in a bearing formed in the gear 23, thus forming a' supporting bearing for the gear. Se-

l cured to and rotatable with the driven shaft 24 is the hub 25 of the plate 26,'which forms part of the driven element. Secured to and rotatable with the plate 26 is a casing 27 which forms the casing of the gear pump and which also forms a plurality of parallel motor cylinders 28. The casing 27 forms the peripheral Wall of the gear pump, the plate 26 forms one side wall and the plate 29, which iis. secured to the casing'27, forms the other side wall of the pump. The pump casing and the cylinders 28 thus form a unit, the parts of which may be integral or securely fastened together. The plate 29 which constitutes a portion of the driven element, is provided with an elongated hub 31 thru which the driving shaft 14 extends and in which the driving shaft is journalled. The extended end of the hub 31 is journalled in the housing 12 by the ball-bearing 32.

The thrust bearing 32 abuts the end of the splined portion 31 of hub. 31 and is maintained in such position by washers w and fw and a bearin cage 32'-, The washer lw is a specially s aped spring washer of predetermined tension designed to react between the cage and bearing and hence, by forcing hub 31 to ,the right to maintain a proper initial sealing cont-act between the plate 26 and the surface of a -valve 4l (later to be described whenthe apparatus is in' neutral and wh1le pressure is being built up 1n cylinders 28'. The cage 32 is threaded into y Sli-'the housing 12 as shown in order that it may be manually rctated to vary the running clearance between plate 26 and said valve.

The casing 27 is provided with an eccentric bore-or chamber, constituting the pump chamber, and in this chamber there is arranged a floating ring gear 34, meshing withthe gear 23 and eccentrica-ily disposed .with relation thereto. On one side of the axis of the gear 23, the two gears are in mesh and on the other side of the axis the teeth of the gears are spaced apart. Arranged in this space is an arcuate abutment 35, which is integral with one or both of the side walls of the pump casing. The-teeth of the gear 23 move in close sliding contact with the inner surface of the abutment 35 and the teeth ofthe floating ring gear 34 move in close sliding contact with the outer surface of the Vabutment 35, so that as the gear 23 is rotated, liquid is carried from one side o the abutment to the other, that is,

from the low pressure side tothe high pres- 'sure side. The chamber in which the gears are disposed, is' rovided with an inlet port 36 at one side o? the abutment and with an 50 outletport 37 on the other side of the abutment.l The ring gear 34 forms a closefslid- -ing'contact with the peripheral wall of the pump chamber and is always in mesh with the gear 23. When there is no relative move- 05 'ment between the driving and the driven members, the gear elements of the pump rotate about the axis of the gear 23 and there is no relative movement of the gear 34 with respect to the gear 23. When the driving and the driven-element, however, are rotated at dierent speeds, the gear 23 rotates at the speed of the driving element and the pump casing and the' abutment 35 rota-te at the speed of the driven element, se that there is relative rotation between the two gears 23 and 34.

v -`When the driven elementv is stationary and the driving element rotating the floating gear 34 rotates within the pump chamber on a stationary axis.

Meansare provided for directing the high pressure liquidv discharged by the pump to the cylinders 28 to cause the movement of pistons therein and for directing the liquid discharged from the cylinders on the reverse stroke' of the pistons, to the intake or low pressure side of the pump. The inlet port 36 of the pump is arcuatein shape and opens on the face of the end plate 26,in acircular groove 38, concentric with the axis of the driven shaft 24 and extending in a complete circle. The

outlet port 37 of the pump is arcuate/in shape and opens into a circular groove 39'formed 1n the face of the end plate 26 and ,this groove extends in 'a complete circle concentrically with respect to the axis of the driven shaft 24 and, in thepresent instance is spaced apart radially from the groove 38. The plate 26 is Vcaused to be in an oil tight sliding contact with the valve plate 41 which is secured to the housing 12. The valve plate 41 is thus stationary and the end plate 26 rotatable. The

valve plate 41 is provided with a circular groove 42 which registers with the groove 38 in the end plate 26 and is also provided with .a circular groove 43 which registers with the circular groove 39 in the end plate 26, thereby forming two complete circular conduits, concentric with the axis 0f the driven shaft 24 and spaced apart radially.

The housing l2 is closed at the end by the 'housing end plate 45, which plate is provided with a high pressure cham continually i-n communication with the groove 43 in the valve plate thru the arcuate port 47. *l The end housing plate 45 is also provided with a low pressure chamber 48 which is continually in communication with the groove 42 in the valve plate thru the port 49. The two chambers 46 and 48 are spaced l apart by the diametrically disposed webs or walls 51--52 and the ports 47 and 49 are preferably arcuate in form to provide sufficient area toy permit the free flow of the l1qu1d from the pump into the high pressure chamber and from the lw pressure chamber into the pump. The webs or .walls 51 and 52 are relatively thin, so that the chambers 46 and 48 are substantially semi-circular in shape. The end plate 45 is so shaped and designed (see Fig. 1) as to form a vertical chamber 48 for coner 46, which is low pressure chamber 48. A ller plug 45 may close the upper end of chamber 48 or thelatter may be connected with an auxiliary.

storage tank (not shown).

From the high pressure chamber `46, the liquid passes into the cylinders in which the pistons are receding from the head plate 26.

and, the liquid ejected from the'cylinders on the return stroke of the pistons, passes into the low pressure chamber 48. The valve plate 41, which is fixed. to the end housing plate 46, is provided with a substantially semi-circular outlet port 54,. communicating with the chamber 46 and with a substantially semi-circular inletv port 55, communicating with the chamber48. The end late 26 of the motor, of which thecylinders orm 'a part, is provided with a plurality of ports 56, there being one port for each cylinder. These ports 56 are 'disposed inthe same radial plane as the ports 54 and 55, so that the liquid is Afree to pass into and out of the cylinders 28. f'

ADisposed in each cylinder 28 is a .piston 58 and the several pistons 58 are connected by the connecting rods 59 with the rotatable lring .61, which is connected to the driven member so that itrotates in synchronisml therewith. Therin 61 may lie at variable angles to the axis o rotation of the driven member, sovthat, as the driven member ro-v tates, the pistons are reciprocated in the cylinders.' The ring 61 issuitably mounted on a bearlng plate 62, which determines the angularity of the ring 61. The bearing plate 62 is provided with `suitable trunnions 63 which are mounted in the housing 12 and securedto one of the trunnions, which extends from the housing, is a lever or lother device 64, by means of which the angularit of 'they bearing plate 62 may be varied. uitable means may be provided for holding-the bearing plate: 62 in any desired adjusted position. It isA apparent that as the angularity ofthe d bearing plate 62 is increased, that is, as it is inclined further 'from the perpendicular, the stroke of the pistons increases and consequently the volumetric displacement of the cylinders, per rotation of the driven member, increases. The cylinders and associated pistons, which constitute a motor, comprise in effect a .displacement apparatus, the displacement Ivolume ofwhich may bevaried. When the bearing plate 62 is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the driving shaft 14, there will be not reciprcation of the pistons and consequently no discharge from theV high pressure chamber 46, so that the driving element and the driven element will rotate in synchromsm. As the angularity of the bearing plate 62 is increased, the speed ofthe driven elementwith respect to the speed of` the driving element will decrease, due to the.

passage of liquid to the motor.

The ring 61 is connected to the driven member so that the power produced by the motor is transmitted to 4the driven member. .-Secured to the extended hub 31 of the driven member as by the splines 31 is a ring 66 which is provided with diametrically diswhich forms an integral part of the driven member.

Means a're provided for by-passing the liq-` uid -between the high pressure chamber 46 and the low pressure chamber 48 Ofor the purpose of operatively disconnecting the drlven element from the driving element. To accomplish this result, we provide a chamber 71 .on the housing end plate 45, which chamber is disposed at right angles to the plane of the 'Y dividing walls v51 and 52 and which chamber extends above and below one of these walls and which is provided with ports 72 opening into both the high pressure and the low pressure chambers. is a rotaryy declutchlng valve 7 3, l which in 011e position closes the ports 72, thereby cuttin off direct communication between the hig pressure and low pressure chambers. In the otherposition, however, such as is shown in Figures 1 and 6, the valve 7 3 establishes, by Way of apair of ports 72 opening through its wall intothe bore of the valve, direct communication between the high pres- Dis osed in the casing 71 sure and low `pressure chambers, thereby short-circuiting-the pump. The valve has a l'stem 73 designed formanual operation as by connecting it with an automobile clutch pedal'to be Arotated when the latter is depressed.

- Reverse is accomplished by tilting the bearing plate 62 in the opposite direction or angle to that corresponding to forward position. `This,of course,v is done afterthe ve.,` hicle has been brought toa substantially complete stop, and causes pressure from the pump through .the Vmotor pistons to re-act on the opposite side of the angle thus reversing the direction of `rotation of the driven' member or shaft 24.

In operation, when the driven member 24 isl stationary and the shaft 17 is rotated thepinion 23 will be driven ,with the shaft 17 and will cause rotation ofthe ring gear 34. .This causes the pumping of the fluld from between the'A gears 23 vandl 34 tothe motor cylinders 28 and causes the reciprocation of the'motor pistons which, in turn drive the shaft 24 together With the cylinders. As the 13 l point where the shaft 24 will be rotating at' the same speed as the shaft 27, when relative rotation of the ring gear and pinion will cease. ln this way it will be seen that the gear pump delivers tluid at its maximum capacity when the shaft 24C is stationary and as the s eed of the shaft 24 approaches the speed o the .shaft 17 the quantity of duid pumped will gradually decrease until the transmission reaches direct drive.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention what is desired to be se cured by Letters Patent and claimed as neu' is:-

We claim:

1. -A hydraulic transmission apparatus comprising driving means; driven means; a rotary pump consisting of complemental elements carried by said driving and driven means and actuated by the relative rotation thereof; a motor for rotating said driven means, said motor having a central space for receiving said rotary pump; and means for distributing duid between said rotary pump and said motor.

2.. A hydraulic transmission apparatus comprising driving means; driven means; a rotary pump consisting of complemental elements carried by said driving and driven means and actuated bythe relative rotation thereof; a motor for rotating said driven means; and means for distributing fluid between said rotary pump and saidI7 motor; said last mentioned means including a stationary plate valve having separate discharge and suction passages for conveying high pressure fluid from the pump toward the motor 'and for returning low pressure fluid from the motor tc the pump respectively.

In the apparatus dened in claim 2, a valve of the rotary plug type mounted adjacent said plate valve and provided with means for interconnecting the high and low pressure Huid passages.

4. In the apparatus defined in claim i, said last mentioned means comprising separate high and low pressure chambers; suction and discharge ports orfthe pump; inlet and exhaust ports for the motor; and a single valve of the plate or disc type for establishing communication between said' chambers and said ports.

5. A hydraulic transmission unit compris' ing a driving member; a drivenrnember; a rotary pump consisting of relatively rotatable and nested complemental `elements carried by said driving and driven members,

and actuated by the relative rotation thereof; a piston type motor having connecting rod mechanism arranged to actuate said driven member; and means or distributing operating fluid between said rotary pump and said motor.

6. A hydraulic transmission system comprising a driving shaft; a driven shaft; a motor connected to said driven shaft and provided with va cylindrical central space; a rotary pump mounted in said central space, said pump consisting of relatively rotatable complemental units actuated by said driving and driven shafts respectively; and means for distributing operating .duid between said pump and said motor.

7. A Huid transmission comprising a driving member; a driven member; a duid motor connected to said driven member and provided With a hollow central space, a rotary pump mounted in said central space, said pump consisting oi' complemental units actuated by said driving and driven shafts.

spectively; a head common to the pump and motor; high and low pressure duid chambers; a plate type valve'mounted between said head and said chambers; and means for establishing communication of said pump and motor with said chambers, said means comprising separate substantially semi-cirm cular ports in the head portion opposite the pump,va pair of separate circular concentric conduits formed in said head in communication with said respective semi-circular ports,

another pair of similar conduits formed in said plate valve in coincldental communica- `tion with the first mentioned conduits, substantially semi-circular ports in said plate valve connecting said highand low pressure chambers with the last mentioned conduits, and cooperating ports and passages in those portions 'ofsaid head and said plate valve opposite the motor for timing the communication of said motor with said chambers.

9. ln combination with the apparatus de- :fined in claim 8 a clutch valve of the rotary lug type for interconnecting said high and ow pressure chambers, said valve being arranged Asubstantially normal to said semi circular ports.

. 10. Ahydraulic torque-multiplying transmission unit comprising a housing; driving and driven means mounted in said housing: a rotary pump consisting of complemental lle units carried by said driving and driven means respectively; a motor for actuating the driven means, and means providing fluid paths between said rotary pump and said motor, said means including a stationary plate valve arranged normal to the axis of the transmission for controlling the distribution of operating fluid betweensaid pump and said motor.

11. A hydraulic torque-multiplying transmission unit comprising a housing; driving and driven means mounted in said housing; a rotary pump consisting of complemental units carried by said driving and driven means respectively; a motor for actuating the driven means; means providing fluid paths between said rotary /pump and said motor, said means including a plate valv(l for controlling the distribution of operating fluid 4between said pump and said motor; and means cooperating with said housing and said driven means to move the latter with respect to the former for the purpose of adjusting the surface clearance of 'said plate valve.

1 2. A hydraulic torque-multiplying transmission unit comprising a housing; driving and driven means mounted in said housing; a rotary pump consisting of complemental units carried by said driving and driven means respectively; a motor for actuating the driving means; fluid ports opening into said motor; suction and delivery ports opening into said pump; means mounted between said pump and motor ports for distributing fluid therebetween, said means including a plate valve having one of its surfaces maintained to provide a running clearance with moving parts of the apparatus; and adjustable means carried by said housing and engaging a portion of said driven means to move the latter and the pump in a manner to vary said running clearance.

13. In a hydraulic transmission unit,-a driving shaft; a driven shaft; a rotary type fluid pump consisting of complemental parts mounted upon said respective shafts and actuated by the relative rotation thereof; a Huid motor comprising a set of spaced rotating cylinders surrounding said pump to form a nest for the-latter, pistons in said cylinders, connecting rods for said pistons, means including a universal -joint connecting said rods with the driven shaft at a pointre'latively closely spaced from one end of said pump, an angle plate rotatably receiving said means; andan adjustable trunnion mounting for said angle plate for changing its inclination to vary operation of said motor.'

14.- A hydraulic transmission apparatus comprising a rotary pump and a/driving member connected thereto; a motor-aud a shaft driven thereby; said rotary pump comprising a set of complemental pumping elements disposed in nested relationship to each other and substantially concentrically disposed relative to said motor; and means for distributing iiuid between said pump and said motor.

15. A differential transmission, comprising a iiuid motor including a plurality of pistons and cylinders and a rotary fluid pump comprising relatively rotatable complemental elements substantially coicentrically disposed, said cylinders and istons being arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotary pump, and being capable of bodily rotation as a unit with said rotary pump or differential rotation with respect thereto and means to distribute the fiuid between said pump and motor during the differential rotation between motor and pump.

16. A transmission comprising a casing, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a hollow cylinder block carried by said driven shaft, cylinders in said block, pistons in said cylinders, means to adjust the stroke of said pistons, a rotary 4pump comprising nested complemental elements mounted -in said hollow cylinder block, said pump :being operated 'by said drivino shaft, and means carrled by said casing for distributing the iiuid between said pump and motor.

17. A fluid transmission including a cas ing, a drivin shaft, a driven shaft, a gear fixed to the riving shaft, a cylinder block surrounding said gear and rotatable with the driven shaft, c ylinders and pistons associated with said bloc and connected to the driven shaftto rotate it with respect to said block, a ring gear eccentricallyarranged around said gear and fitting in said cylinder block,

- an abutment disposed between said,l gears and movable with said cylinder block, and fluid distributing means carried by said casing to control the flow ef iuid from said gears to said cylinders.'

18. In a hydraulic transmission unit or the like, in combination, a rotatable pump casing having fluid inletand outlet ports; a cylindrical chamber in said casing disposed eccentrically with respect to the axis of rota-- tion of the casing; aring rotor journaled in said .eccentric chamber; a central rotor in interengagement with -said ring rotor and j ournaled onthe axis of rotation of said casing; means adjacent said ring and central rotors for dividing the space therebetween into fluid pressure chambers; means providing stationary ports in permanent connecting relation with said outlet ports andmeans connected with -said casing for receiving operating iuid from said stationary ports, utilizing it, and returning it to said inlet ports, usaid last named means servingio create a back pressure upon the fluid discharged from said 'pump and hence to control the relative rate of rotation of the parts of the'latter.

19. In a device of the` character ofa that dei neeogsev scribed, in combination, a rotatable pump easing having Huid inlet and outlet ports; a chamber in said casing disposed eccentrically with respect to the rotational axis of said casing; a ring rotor journaled in said chamber; a central rotor in interengagement with said ring rotor and aligned with said rotational axis; means for driving said central rotor; a motor mounted adjacent said pump in easing in driving relationshi therewith; and means for distributing iiui between the pump ports and said motor.

2t). ln combination, a rotatable member, a pump ring gear eccentrically journalled :for l@ rotation in said member, a rotatable pinion meshing with said ring gear and having its anis of rotation in. alignment with the axis of said rotatable member; end means for Varying the relative rotation of said pinion 29 and said rotatable member.

En testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands.

ELi/i .N M. RAYBURN. ALBEN GRANVILLERAYBURN. 25 JAh/ES WAYNE SUB/LINER. 

